The Sons of God in Genesis 6

Ron Beard
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The Sons of God in Genesis 6

Gen.6:1-4 “Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful, and they took wives for themselves all of whom they chose. And the Lord said “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days will be 120 years. There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came into the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were mighty men who were of old, men of renown”.

Are the “sons of God” here humans or angels? Think about this; From the creation to the flood was about 1656 years*. What makes this story more intriguing is that this is the only biblical account of those ten generations. Over one quarter of human history reduced to four enigmatic bible verses! Did the pagan stories of gods having offspring with humans influence this account or did this account inspire those stories?

*Adding the ages of Seth’s lineage from Adam to Noah equals 1056 years. Genesis 7:6 states that Noah was 600 years old when the flood came. Hence, 1656 years.

Arguments that they are human:

  • Angels don’t have the potential to lust after humans.
  • Angels don’t have sex organs.
  • Angels don’t have DNA.
  • Angels don’t marry humans
  • Angels don’t make babies

  1. Angels are spirit beings. They are called “ministering spirits”. Lust is a human weakness, here described as sexual attraction. It is not possible that spiritual beings, created in the heavenly realm, could desire sexual gratification from dust people since they are asexual.

  2. Angels are a “company”. All created at the same time. Angels don’t have sex organs or fallen human minds. Lust is an intense human physical desire. Angels are not physical and therefore don’t have the capacity to lust after humans.

  3. A child is made from seed and sperm. DNA is essential. One argument used here is that angels “possessed” human men and ‘took’ human women. If this was the case, how could they ever be called “sons of God” in scripture.

  4. “They took wives for themselves”. Jesus debunked this false teaching. “Humans don’t marry in heaven, they are like the angels”. In the mouth of two or three witnesses, Matt.22:30, Mark 12:25 and Luke 20:36. This is Jesus, the one who walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, the one who was in fellowship with the sons of God during those 1600 years. He doesn’t say “angels don’t marry anymore” or “only that one time” He says, in the Holy scriptures, “ANGELS DON’T MARRY”. End of story!

  5. “They bore children”. Angels don’t make babies. The human race bears children. The angels are a company. No mommy and daddy angels conceiving and birthing baby angelettes. No sex organs. No DNA*.

    * Human DNA is a ladder containing approximately 3 billion ‘rungs’. To think an angel can copy God’s creative genius and produce living beings is quite imaginative.

More from Genesis

  1. The offspring were called MEN. ‘Mighty MEN’, ‘MEN of renown’. Not superbeings, angelic or godlike.

  2. God’s response (6:3). “My Spirit will not strive with MAN forever”. If these were angels, and the angels “took” women, Why blame man? Wouldn’t God say “My Spirit will not strive with angels forever”? The word strive, in Hebrew (#1777), means to contend, to minister, to judge, to administrate. God was there with the sons contending, ministering the whole time.

  3. If the offspring were half human and half spirit being, why a flood? Angels don’t die.

  4. Their offspring were giants. There were already giants in the land in those days. Gen.6:4 “There were giants (Nephilim) on the earth in those days”. These offspring are called ‘mighty men’ and ‘men of renown’ (6:4). “Mighty men” is ‘gibbor’ in Hebrew. It means powerful, strong, champion, giant, valiant etc. Men of ‘renown’ is famous, authoritative, men of name. Thankfully, this whole issue can be put to rest because the word Nephilim is used again in Numbers 13:33. See #21

  5. Where else have we seen: (Gen.6:2) …saw…beautiful…took…? In Genesis 3:6! So, when the woman …saw…pleasant…took… same three Hebrew words! Coincidence? No. Eve used her own judgement when she saw and took something forbidden, and it caused irreparable damage. The (human) sons also saw and took something forbidden and also caused mass destruction (the flood).

New Testament

  1. It destroys the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the Only Son of God. The Trinity is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father has ONE Son. “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”. The most quoted verse in the bible is “For God so loved the world, that He gave His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON…” The Only Begotten Son (X4) in the New Testament; John 1:18, The only begotten Son reveals God. John 3:16, God gives His only begotten Son so that we can have everlasting life. John 3:18, You are condemned if you don’t believe in the Only begotten Son. 1John4:9, We can only live through the only begotten Son. The Only begotten Son is essential and central to the salvation message. If there are countless other heavenly ‘sons’ (some who are evil), it undermines the title and creates confusion and uncertainty.

  2. Are the claims of Jesus’ “immaculate conception” unique or common? The incarnation is the cornerstone of Christian theology. God the Son has the power to save us, AND represent us as a human being. If spirit-beings can create babies, then what is unique about Jesus’ birth?

  3. Heb.1:5 asks, ‘To which of the angels DID HE EVER SAY: “You are My Son today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father and He shall be to Me a Son”? Verse 7 continues; His angels are ministering spirits but to the Son He says, “Your throne O God is forever and ever”. How does this reconcile with Job chapters 1 & 2?

  4. Adoption: Has God ever adopted angels? The word in Greek means “Sonship”, “Adopted as sons”. Rom.9:4 Paul claims Israel was adopted. And now we have been adopted as well. Rom.8:15 “You have received the spirit of adoption”, Gal.4:5 “We receive adoption as sons”, Eph.1:5 “Predestined to adoption”. Clearly angels aren’t sons. Covenant keepers are sons through Christ Jesus alone.

  5. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” 1John 3:1. It doesn’t seem to hold as much eminence if our “Sonship” isn’t a unique and privileged relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ. Especially if God already has a heavenly family of angels He also calls sons of God, of whom some had unwanted sex with human women and created giants.

  6. Throughout Church History, the prevailing view of Genesis 6 is that these were sons of Seth. From Julius Africanus to Augustine, through the days of the popes and into the reformation this has been the plain teaching of the church.

A Deeper Dive

  1. The Presence: The first mention of ‘presence’ is Gen.3:8 where Adam and Eve hid from God’s presence. This was a face to face fellowship between God and His creation. Genesis 4 shows the lineage of Cain. and tells us “Cain went out from the presence of the Lord”. Along with the names of his lineage, we see the beginnings of polygamy, arrogance, murder etc. In contrast, Seth’s lineage (4:25+) is given. Verse 26 states “Then men began to call on the name of the Lord”. These men were those who fellowshipped in God’s presence and submitted to His authority (sons of God). Ten generations later, Noah, a just man perfect in his generations, walked with God and followed God’s directions. He “found grace in God’s eyes” Gen.6:8-9, and God gave him the instructions to build the ark. After the flood, God continued to walk and talk with Noah and his sons (Gen.9:8-9). The presence of God was manifest through the generations of the sons of Seth who hadn’t fallen. An example of this is Gen.5:21 that states “Enoch walked with God” and so close was their relationship that after 365 years, God “took him”. These were the ‘Sons of God’ walking in the presence of God. The comparison of genealogies above is the purpose and proof that both lines are men (one ungodly and the other godly). This rebellion resulted in a drastic proliferation of violence, rebellion, self-worship and ultimately, the flood.

  2. The Seed: The first prophecy in the bible is directed toward the serpent. Gen.3:15 states; “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel”. One verse, that sets the stage for the content of the bible, the nature of prophecy and the future of humanity. Abel was the seed through which this prophetic word was to be fulfilled. Cain killed Abel, so God provided a second seed. In Genesis 4:25 Eve named her son Seth “For God has appointed another seed for me”. Seth’s seed is traced to Noah ten generations later Gen.9:8-9. This is the promised seed. The ‘Sons of God’ were carrying the seed that would fulfill this prophecy. The serpent, in an attempt to circumvent this promise, sidetracked the Sons of God (Seth’s lineage) with lust. Fortunately, this tactic was unsuccessful, and the seed continued to Noah. Noah and his three sons endured the flood. Shem’s descendants are recorded in Genesis 11:10-26. Abram is the tenth generation from Noah. The seed promise continues through Abram Gen.17:7 and has ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ Gal.3:19, The True “Son of God” and ultimate fulfillment of the seed promise from Gen.3:15.

  3. Why was Genesis written? First, Moses wanted the slaves to know WHO was leading them out of slavery. It was the Creator of the heavens and the earth. No local deity. Second, Moses wanted them to know who THEY were. They were a chosen people from the very beginning of time. A covenant family. Third, Moses was keenly aware that intermarrying would destroy what God was building. Hence the Gen6 story.

  4. Why is THIS story recorded? The “storyline”, and main theme of the entire bible is how God has been, and still is, gathering a bride for His Son. These first 1600+ years are no exception. And even if the record of one fourth of human history is virtually non-existent, there remains a record of the Remnant, faithful Sons, who walked with God. Many of these early ‘sons’ are among the multitude worshipping our Lamb in white robes Rev.7:9.

  5. The Nephilim. The word Nephilim is only used 3x in the bible. Once in Gen.6:4 and twice in Numbers 13:33. Numbers says Anak is “from the Nephilim”. Anak’s father is Arba who lives in Kirjath-Arba (Hebron), and Anak’s sons are Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai. Their family are known as the Anikim. They are called giants (Nephilim) in Numbers 13:33, and giants (Rephaim) in Deuteronomy 2:11. The word Rephaim introduces us to a vast number of other giants. There are the Emims (Deu.2:11) “A great many people tall like the Anakims”, Deu.2:20 talks about a “land of giants”, the Ammonites called the Zamzummin. Og, king of Bashan, “a remnant of the giants” (Josh.12:4), and the “valley of the giants” (Josh.15:8, 18:16). Joshua claimed there were more giants in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod (Josh.11:22). Even back in Abram’s day, Gen.14:5, King Chedorlaomer defeated the Rephaims, the Emims and the Zuzims (all giants). Then Abram and his 318 trained servants defeated King Chedorlaomer and four other kings. The point is that all these giants mentioned in the bible died in battles, including Goliath, the most detailed death of a giant in scripture (1 Sam.17), with no mention of anything supernatural, no biblical accounts of anything other than they died like men. Because they were men, giant men. One angel killed 185 thousand fighting men in one night (Isa.37:36). If all these giants had angel genes, they should have been more talented.

  6. Do the Math. Angels having sex with human women would not have affected Seth’s lineage. Ten God-fearing generations who walked with God, prophesied and preached righteousness should have produced a multitude of sons. Look at the example of Jacob. Seventy Sons went down to Egypt.¹ They multiplied 400 years.² They came out, 600,000 men.³ Seth’s lineage, the Sons of God, multiplied 1600 years. It seems like they should have come out with at least multiple thousands yet they only came out with one guy (Noah). The math proves it wasn’t angels. Seth’s lineage faltered. They intermarried, had families, and forsook the high calling of God and were destroyed in the flood with the rest of the wicked (Matthew 24:38).

    ¹ Exodus 1:5. ² Exodus 12:41. ³ Numbers 1:46

Arguments that they are Angels:

  1. The idea is supported by the Book of Enoch*. The writer tells the story of 200 angels (called watchers) sent to earth to instruct humanity. They instead corrupted mankind, teaching them astrology, sorcery etc. They also had sex with women, and their offspring were giants. God then judged them and bound them in darkness to await judgement. This seems like easily dismissible folklore, except Genesis 6 appears to mimic the story. Although Jude quotes Enoch, “seventh from Adam”**, using it to support his position on God’s grace (vs.14-15), he also makes use of the story of the angels who left their first estate, now awaiting judgement, as a reminder to contend for the faith (v.6). Peter’s warning in 2Pet.2:4 parallels Jude’s about the angels who are now reserved in chains awaiting judgement. Neither would use an argument from a nonbiblical text unless they believed it was true and common knowledge.

  2. Peter’s account reads “cast down to Tartarus”. The word “Tartarus” isn’t used anywhere else in the bible. It is used in the book of Enoch as the destination of the angels that sinned.

  3. Job calls angels “sons of God” 3 times. If “sons of God” refers to angels in Job, it probably means they are angels in Genesis as well.

  4. There are fragments of several copies of a “Book of Giants” found among the dead sea scrolls. This book expands on the Genesis 6 story explaining it as angels having sexual relations with women resulting in giants.

  • The Book of Enoch was written by a number of authors over a significant number of years (600+). Not by the Enoch of Genesis (7th from Adam), but mostly intertestamental writers heavily influenced by Babylonian and Ugaritic paganism. It is not a “hidden book of the bible”. It is not authoritative. And neither Jews nor Christians believe it qualifies as canon. ** Jude’s letter was written before the so-called book of Enoch we know today. When Jude incorporates Enoch’s prophecy, he is alluding to a warning most likely prophesied to the antediluvian world. Remember, Enoch’s son was named “at his death it will come”, and the flood came the year Methuselah died. The actual Enoch (7th from Adam) was a prophet and a friend of God, so much so that God translated him to heaven before dying Gen.5:24, Heb.11:5.

Conclusion:

Most people accept the angel view because that’s what they’ve been taught. What they don’t realize is the implications that come with that choice. This belief puts all angels in the crosshairs. It destroys the dignity, the glory, the respect and the majesty of all angels. If one angel can lust, then all angels can lust. Is the threat of punishment enough? Are women safe today? Does a head cover really help (1Cor.11:10)? Are men safe? How about children? Are guardian angels vetted? Background checked? In the light of this story, would you respond to “He will give His angels charge over thee” with “no thanks”?

God’s Word has the final say on every subject it deals with, but there seems to be some biblical support for each side of this controversy. No one will lose their salvation or their reward for being wrong about this, but we should still make every effort to “rightly divide the word of truth” 2Tim.2:15. Scholarship and most bible teachers say, “Ask the Jewish rabbis who were closest to the issue”, but these people are the last ones you want to hear from. They are blind guides who reject Jesus Christ, and Christianity! Paul warns Timothy and Titus about those who give heed to fables in 1Tim.1:4 “fables and endless genealogies”, 4:7 “profane and old wives fables” and in Titus 1:14 “Rebuke those who give heed to Jewish fables”. In nature, if you mate a horse with a donkey, you get a mule. The mule cannot reproduce because it is unnatural. Apparently, if angels mate with human women you get a lineage of multiple centuries (From early creation to Israel’s days in the promised land). Job’s ‘sons of God’ argument (from chapters 1 and 2) is compelling, however, since no one knows who wrote Job, the author’s identification could be his own understanding of who these entities were (much like Nebuchadnezzar calling the holy ones, “watchers” in Daniel 4:13&23). The 38:7 verse in Job is only translated “sons of God” in the Masoretic text (10th century A.D.). In the LXX (2nd century B.C.) it’s translated “all my angels”. And the targums (dead sea scrolls), it’s translated “angels of God”. Common sense, 1500+ years of church history and much biblical support Vs. Jewish tradition, modern ‘scholarship’ and a few bible verses.

It doesn’t look like this controversy will be solved anytime soon. Discussions, therefore, should follow Paul’s advice as he says to “have our conversation in the testimony of our conscience and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God” 2Cor.1:12.

Just a final thought. If Governments thought the Philistine giants of bible days were superhuman, they would be searching for their graves and attempting to extract DNA and create super soldiers (like a bad Indiana Jones movie).

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